Kildare County Council 1 KILDARE COUNTY COUNCIL

KILDARE COUNTY COUNCIL

Minutes of Meeting of Council held at 2.00p.m on Monday 19 September 2016 at Áras Chill Dara, Devoy Park, Naas, Co Kildare

Members Present: Councillor I Keatley (Mayor), Councillors M Aspell, A Breslin, A Breen, F Brett, K Byrne B Caldwell, M Coleman, R Cronin, I Cussen, M Dalton, T Durkan, D Fitzpatrick, B Hillis, I Keatley, C Kelly, P Kennedy, A Larkin, M Lynch, P McEvoy, M McCabe, J McGinley, F McLoughlin-Healy, M Miley, T Murray, J Neville, S O'Neill, J Pender, R Power, S Power, D Scully, M Stafford, M Wall, P Ward and B Young

Apologies: Councillors D Callaghan, S Doyle, S Moore, N O'Cearuil and T Redmond,

Also Present: Mr P Carey, Chief Executive, Messrs P Minnock, T McDonnell, J Boland, Ms S Kavanagh (Directors of Services), Ms E Hanlon, Head of Finance, Ms Evelyn Wright, SEO, Ms M McIvor (Meetings Administrator) and other officials.

. 01/0916 Vote of Sympathy The Mayor welcomed the members back from their break and he called for a minutes silence to reflect the sad passing of Mrs Margaret Wall, mother of Jack Wall, former TD and member of Kildare County Council and grandmother of Councillor Mark Wall. Catriona Lucas, volunteer coastguard and staff member of Clare County Council Mr Seamus Stokes, retired County Secretary and father of Ronan Stokes, Housing

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The Mayor and members also expressed sympathy to the family of the late Mr Sean McNally, father of Darren McNally, Planning Mr Michael Nolan, brother of Siobhan O’Rourke, Community and Culture Mr Jaroslaw Zak, former Gateway employee in the Maynooth Municipal District Mr Joey Kelly, father of Elaine Price, Corporate Services and father-in-law of Ms Dawn Halpin, IT Mr Richard Elders, Naas, father of Celine Brennan, Finance

02/0916 Adoption of minutes The council considered the minutes of the annual meeting of 24 June 2016 and the monthly meeting of the 25 July 2016 together with the progress report. Councillor Cussen indicated that she was proposing amendments to the minutes of the annual meeting. Resolved on the proposal of Councillor Kennedy, seconded by Councillor Hillis, that the minutes of the monthly meeting of 25 July 2016 be adopted and the progress report noted.

Matters Arising The Meetings Administrator requested the proposed amendments in writing so that the minutes of the annual meeting could be amended for adoption at the next meeting of Kildare County Council.

03/0916 Love Kildare Photo Competition Ms Kavanagh, Director of Services outlined the background to the competition. To highlight Kildare as being ‘a great place to be, work and visit’, members of the public were invited to share what they LOVE about County Kildare. 24 entries in total were received and were judged in terms of originality of the picture idea and how it illustrated the theme of the competition. In third place was ‘Horse in the Gorse’ by Stephen Maher. Stephen’s entry was captured by him on the drive home through the Curragh after a busy, stressful day. Stopping off to get a breath of fresh air close to the area locally known as ‘Braveheart Hill’, the horse and jockey appeared at the top of the hill. As Stephen aptly put it, this photograph ‘screamed Kildare’. The Mayor congratulated Stephen and presented him with his award. In second place was ‘Drumming Away’ by Sheila Kavanagh.

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Sheila’s shot was taken at the St Patrick’s Day parade in Newbridge, Co. Kildare. The street photo captures a moment in time with the marching band drumming away and the bystanders enjoying the sights and sounds around them. Sheila was unable to attend. The winning entry was ‘Boat House by Pawel Zygmunt. Pawel’s photograph was taken on a nice sunny evening in Maynooth, Co Kildare. The shot captures Carton Boathouse located in the Georgian Park next to the great house that was a seat of the Earls of Kildare and Dukes of Leinster between the 14th and 19th century. The Mayor congratulated Pawel on his winning entry and presented him with his award.

04/0916 Disposal of Land 0.0126 Hectares of land at Celbridge Road, Leixlip, Co Kildare A plot of land at Celbridge Road, Leixlip, Co.Kildare measuring 0.0126 hectares of land as per drawing No L1293 to be transferred to Mrs Eva Warner, Celbridge Road, Leixlip for the consideration of €100. In accordance with Section 183 of the Local Government Act 2001, statutory notice dated 6 September 2016 was circulated to the members. Resolved On the proposal of Councillor Hillis, seconded by Councillor Miley, pursuant to Section 183 of the Local Government Act 2001, the Council consent to the disposal of the land in accordance with the statutory notice dated 6 September 2016.

3.5040 Hectares of land at Knockbounce Kilcullen, Co Kildare Kildare County Council intends to lease 3.5040 hectares of land outlined on drawing no. L/1176(B) to Kilcullen GAA for a period of 99 years. The consideration is a nominal rent of €100 per annum and the conditions attached to the Section 183 circulated to the members. In accordance with Section 183 of the Local Government Act 2001, statutory notice dated 6 September 2016 was circulated to the members. Resolved On the proposal of Councillor Hillis, seconded by Councillor Miley, pursuant to Section 183 of the Local Government Act 2001, the Council consent to the lease of the land in accordance with the statutory notice dated 6 September 2016.

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05/0916 Monthly Management Report Councillor Pender noted the absence of the Tankardsgarden project from the Capital Program under the Housing Directorate and asked for clarification. Mr McDonnell confirmed that the project was omitted in error and that his Department were in consultation with the Department of Housing Planning Community and Local Government in preparation of the Part VIII application to come before Council. Resolved that the monthly Management Report be noted

06/0916 Transportation Safety and Emergency Services Strategic Policy Committee Councillor Scully, Chairman of the Transportation Safety and Emergency Services Strategic Policy Committee outlined the membership and areas of responsibility of the Transportation, Safety and Emergency Services SPC. Councillor Scully noted the 2016 work programme and the policies that have been reviewed by the committee. He said that the Road Safety Officer attends all the meetings and this is a very positive initiative. The Mayor thanked Councillor Scully for his comprehensive presentation. Councillor Young asked if the Strategic Policy Committee dealt with the emergency plan for Intel and whether they had a view on this plan. Councillor Neville commended Councillor Scully on his work and that of the committee. Councillor McEvoy also thanked Councillor Scully and asked that the cycling forum be reactivated through that committee. Councillor Scully stated that the emergency plan for Intel is not a matter for the Strategic Policy Committee. He acknowledged the thanks of the members and said that he will list the cycling forum on the agenda. Councillor Young said that there had been a public consultation on this plan and that Kildare County Council did a report from a fire safety and health and safety viewpoint. The Chief Executive intervened to confirm that the emergency plan for Intel was not a matter for the Strategic Policy Committee. Councillor Lynch asked if the rural bus stops were on a needs basis. Councillor Scully confirmed that the SPC recommendations on rural bus stops would be presented to each Municipal District at their October meetings.

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07/0916 Budgetary Reports The Budgetary Reports for the 6 months ended 30 June 2016 were circulated to the members by Ms Hanlon, Head of Finance. Ms Hanlon noted that as at 30 June 2016, over €71 million of an annual expenditure budget of €137 million has been spent or committed. This amounts to 51% of the overall budget: the income has been in line with expenditure with just over 51% of the budgeted income also collected or accrued. Resolved That the Budgetary Reports for the six month period ended 30 June 2016 be noted.

08/0916 Local Property Tax The Mayor, with the agreement of Councillor Cussen stated that he would take motion number 21 on the agenda in her name at this stage together with statutory item number 9 on the agenda. Comprehensive reports from the Chief Executive have been circulated on the consideration of the setting of the Local Adjustment Factor for the Local Property Tax.

The following motion in the name of Councillor Cussen was considered That this council reduces the Local Property Tax by 15%

The motion was proposed by Councillor Cussen and seconded by Councillor Cronin.

Ms Hanlon, Head of Finance gave an overview of the report dated 14 September 2016 from the Chief Executive in the consideration of the setting of a local adjustment factor for 2017. In accordance with Section 20 of the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012, as amended by Section 5 of the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2013, a local authority may as a reserved function resolve to vary the basic rate of Local Property Tax within its functional area by a maximum of +/-15%. The report of the Chief Executive includes the following • The local authority’s estimation of the income it will receive and the expenditure it will incur in the period for which the varied rate is to have effect. • The financial position of the local authority • The financial effect of the varied rate ______Minutes of meeting of Kildare County Council 19 September 2016

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• Feedback from public consultation held As outlined in Circular Fin 04/2016, the objective of this new funding is to restore a certain level of financial autonomy to local authorities. While Kildare County Council is in a position to grant a reduction in the Local Property Tax, it is considered that the ringfencing of an agreed level of funding to dedicate to worthwhile local projects presents an excellent opportunity to deliver demonstrable results for local communities. Accordingly, the Chief Executive recommended to the members that the base rate of local property tax not be varied for 2017. In accordance with the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012 (as amended) the Chief Executive prepared and circulated a report on the submissions received in respect of the consideration of setting a local adjustment factor. Councillor Cussen called on the members to reduce the Local Property Tax by 15%. She stated that the tables do not tell the full story and that 0% reduction is actually an increase on last year. Councillor Cussen said that it is disrespectful to people to take this decision without their consent. While she acknowledged that the process of consultation had been followed, she said that she was not surprised that people did not put in submissions because the larger parties had an arrangement and it was a pointless exercise.

Councillor McEvoy stated that in the last two years people have seen the benefit of the expenditure in their local areas and he proposed the following amendment to the motion That this council reduces the Local Property Tax by 0% This amendment was seconded by Councillor Kennedy. A heated debate on the setting of the local adjustment factor followed with members clearly divided on the issue.

Councillor Pender proposed a further amendment: That Kildare County Council reduce Local Property Tax by 14.9%. This amendment was seconded by Councillor Young.

The members contributed to a lengthy debate on the local adjustment factor, its effect on households as indicated in the report, the fact that a 0% reduction actually reflects an increase, the very worthy projects that received funding in 2016 and the benefit to local communities. The recommendation that only projects of not less than €25,000 should be considered was questioned. The Head of Finance clarified that this was a recommendation and that the members

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could decide if smaller projects were more appropriate but there has to be certainty so that the delivery of the projects within the time frame can be guaranteed. In accordance with standing orders, no second or subsequent amendment shall be moved until the first amendment has been dealt with. Accordingly, the Meetings Administrator informed the members that the amendment proposed by Councillor McEvoy and seconded by Councillor Kennedy be voted upon. Six members called for a roll call vote. The meetings administrator asked the members to vote on the following amendment to the motion That this Council reduces the property tax by 0%. The amended motion was carried with 26 members voting in favour and 8 members voting against. The following members voted in favour Councillors Aspell, Breen, Breslin, Brett, Caldwell, Coleman, Dalton, Durkan, Fitzpatrick, Hillis, Keatley, Kelly, Kennedy, Larkin, McCabe, McEvoy, McLoughlin-Healy, Miley, Murray, Neville, R Power, S Power, Stafford, Wall, Ward and Weld. The following members voted against Councillors Byrne, Cronin, Cussen, Lynch, McGinley, O'Neill, Pender and Young. Resolved in accordance with the provisions of the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012 (as amended), not to adjust the basic rate of Local Property Tax for the year 2017 in respect of relevant residential properties situated in the administrative area of Kildare County Council.

09/0916 Local Community and Cultural Strategic Policy Committee Councillor Byrne, Chairman of the Local Community and Cultural Strategic Policy Committee outlined the background to the committee and its membership. He gave the members a comprehensive progress report on the key policy areas that the committee were reviewing. Councillor Byrne explained that many of the policies and programmes involve multi-agency activity and he took the opportunity to thank all the other agencies for their co-operation and hard work in helping to make Kildare a great place in which to live, learn, work, visit and do business. Councillor McLoughlin-Healy asked for clarification on the role of the Strategic Policy Committee in the Decade of Commemoration events.

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Councillor McEvoy clarified that the policy around the Decade of Commemoration was under the remit of this Strategic Policy Committee and that as chair of the Decade of Commemoration committee he brought the policy before full council. Councillor Cussen stated that the motion regarding the commemoration plaques was now being researched to examine if by-laws could be adopted and to research the protocol in place in other counties. Councillor Miley commended Councillor Byrne for his work on this extremely busy committee and he also congratulated the Decade of Commemoration committee for the numerous events, cultural and historic which were a credit to the county., The Mayor thanked Councillor Byrne for his presentation.

10/0916 Draft County Development Plan 2017 - 2023 A schedule of special meetings to consider the Chief Executive's Report and Draft County Development Plan was agreed as follows

10 October 2016 special meeting of full council at 2pm 12 October 2016 adjourned special meeting of full council at 2pm 13 October 2016 adjourned special meeting of full council at 10am 13 October 2016 adjourned special meeting of full council at 2pm

Members were asked to note that the deadline for the submission of notices of motions regarding the Chief Executive's report and the Draft County Development Plan is Monday 26 September at 5pm.

11/0916 Higher Education Grant Scheme 2016/2017 A report dated 30 August 2016 from Ms McIvor outlining details of the scheme was circulated to the members. Approval for the adoption of the Higher Education Grant Scheme 2016/2017 was recommended.

Resolved on the proposal of Councillor Hillis, seconded by Councillor Caldwell, the Higher Education Grant Scheme 2016/2017 was approved.

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12/0916 Mayor’s Business The Mayor commended the work of the Decade of Commemoration committee. The Mayor congratulated the work of Leixlip Tidy Towns and complimented them on the garden where he unveiled a plaque. The Mayor noted the erection of a memorial to Ernest Shackleton on 30 August 2016, a positive addition to the Heritage Centre in Athy. He said that this is an example of the huge potential in Athy. The Mayor noted the memorial ceremony in commemoration of Col Ned Broy over the weekend. While the memorial is actually in Co Offaly, Col Broy is a native of Rathangan. The Mayor commended the work of the Arts Officer, Lucina Russell and the County Librarian, Marian Higgins on the success of the culture night on September 16th. Councillor Keatley said that it was extraordinary to walk around the town of Naas to see all the events taking place. The Mayor also commended Simon Wallace and the volunteer staff who made the Play Day such an extraordinary success last Saturday. The Mayor welcomed Adrian Hogan to the visitor’s gallery. Mr Hogan is attending the meeting as part of a tour of all local authorities. Councillor Cussen and Councillor Larkin brought the Mayor's attention to the vandalism that took place at the Easter garden in Leixlip and the significant damage to the town of Leixlip over the weekend. The Mayor agreed with the members that such acts must be condemned.

13/0916 Conferences and Training The Meetings Administrator referred to report of 19 September 2016 regarding conferences and training circulated to the members Resolved on the proposal of Councillor McEvoy, seconded by Councillor Caldwell and in accordance with Section 142(5) of the Local Government Act 2001, as amended by Section 53(2) of the Local Government Reform Act 2014 retrospective approval is granted for the attendance of Councillors O’Neill (1 day) and Doyle (2 days) at the RIAI conference on Urban Futures and Towns in Transition in Dublin Castle, Dame St., Dublin 1 from 1 to 3 September, 2016 Councillor McLoughlin Healy at the AILG training in the Galway Bay Hotel, Galway on 6 September 2016.

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Councillors Aspell, Dalton, O’Neill, Brett. Pender, Young, and Kennedy at the AILG training in the Longford Arms Hotel, Longford on 15 September 2016. Approval is granted for the attendance of Councillors Aspell, Dalton, Brett, Kennedy, Miley, S Power, Scully and Weld at the LAMA 2016 Autumn Conference in the Westlodge Hotel, Bantry, Co Cork on 30 September and 1 October 2016. Councillors McLoughlin Healy. Ward and Redmond at the Autumn Planning Conference in the Gibson Hotel, Dublin 1 on 7 October 2016.

14/0916 Size of Headstones The following motion in the name of Councillor Caldwell was considered That the Council put a size limit on headstones that are placed in our cemeteries/graveyards

The motion was proposed by Councillor Caldwell and seconded by Councillor Miley.

A report from the Environment Department stated that advance permission is required for all headstone memorials within cemeteries managed by Kildare County Council. The process involves a formal application which is assessed by the Environment Department. If the proposal is acceptable, a written permit with conditions attached is issued. The conditions may specify the height and surrounds if applicable. Within lawn cemeteries, there is an existing height limit of 1.07 metres (from ground to top of stone) while there is currently a height limit of 2 metres (from ground to top of stone) in all other cemeteries. Councillor Caldwell said that while he was satisfied with the report, he would welcome more regulation in this area, particularly around the size of headstones. Councillor Cussen informed the members that the Environment Strategic Policy Committee are in the process of preparing by-laws which will come before full council for adoption. Resolved that the report be noted

15/0916 Wi-fi Rollout The following motion in the names of Councillors Callaghan and Miley was considered Following the success from the free Wi-Fi delivered by the council in the square in Athy, can the

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council investigate rolling this out throughout all towns in County Kildare and delivering it in villages where the council already have a Wi-Fi connection, i.e. libraries?

The motion was proposed by Councillor Miley and seconded by Councillor Kelly.

A report from the IT department outlined the background to the Kildare County Council public wi-fi solution in Athy. The project will be formally reviewed after 2 months to ensure that the technology is operating as expected and that there are no issues with public use of the service. In terms of further rollout, it is the intention to identify a number of new sites in the coming months and use the Athy experience to promote this technology across the county. The team will work closely with the members through the Municipal Districts on future roll out projects. The sites currently being examined are Naas Town Hall, Newbridge, Leixlip, Maynooth and Kilcullen branch libraries. Other sites, not directly owned by Kildare County Council will also be examined as it may be possible to share broadband facilities. The team will continue to report to council on progress and welcome contact and feedback on the project. Councillor Miley welcomed this positive report and recommended that the local property tax money could be used for further delivery of this project. He suggested that the libraries in Ballytore and Castledermot could be added to the list. Councillor Miley complimented Councillor Redmond for bringing the original motion to the Athy Municipal District. Resolved that the report be noted

16/0916 Noise Suppression Barriers The following motion in the name of Councillor Brett was considered That the members support the residents of Johnstown Village to have noise suppression barriers from Johnstown to the Big Ball roundabout included by Transport InfrastructureIreland, Department of Transport in their tender documents for the upcoming N7/M7 upgrade works.

The motion was proposed by Councillor Brett and seconded by Councillor Weld.

A report from Mr Morrissey, Director of Service stated that this request will be forwarded to TII for consideration.

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Councillor Brett said that the Johnstown Community Association who were the umbrella group for several residents associations were getting no response from TII. He urged the memebrs to support the motion. Members suggested that this was a motion which should have been heard at Municipal District level. It was suggested that the letter to TII should also include the area at Great Connell in Newbridge where residents have specific commitments and also the M4 at Celbridge Leixlip where there is a noise issue. Resolved that a letter be issued to TII outlining the concerns of the members and requesting immediate engagement.

17/0916 Welcome Signs The following motion in the name of Councillor Stafford was considered That the council, in conjunction with Kildare Failte, devise and implement a strategy in relation to the erection of suitable welcome or gateway signs on the border of the county on all regional roads and appropriate local roads and identify possible sources of funding for the provision of same.

The motion was proposed by Councillor Stafford and seconded by Councillor Hillis.

A report from Ms Kavanagh, Director of Services stated that the provision of appropriate signage as described in the motion will be investigated in conjunction with Failte Ireland and Kildare Failte. Councillor Stafford thanked Ms Kavanagh for her report. He said that he lives on the outskirts of the county and that there are opportunities through the Ireland's Ancient East programme. He said that he is suggesting the small welcome signs so that visitors know when they reach picturesque towns and villages in our county. Councillor Lynch said that this motion was contrary to a motion passed by this council before the summer where we agreed to limit the number of signs. Councillor McEvoy stated that there is a balance to be struck and that as a member of Failte Ireland he will liaise with the Director. Resolved that the report be noted.

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18/0916 Approved Housing Bodies Councillor Redmond was not in attendance and had given written consent to Councillor Cussen to move his motion. That the council immediately seeks from all of the approved housing bodies it deals with an up to date summary of their housing estates. This report to include the amount of time houses were left empty and amount of stock.

The motion was proposed by Councillor Cussen and seconded by Councillor Cronin.

Councillor Cussen requested that this motion be deferred to the October meeting and asked that a more detailed report be made available for that meeting. Resolved that the motion be deferred to the October meeting.

19/0916 Pre-Budget Submissions for PPN groups The following motion in the name of Councillor McCabe was considered That Kildare County Council implement a system of pre-budget submissions or all PPN groups, so that the appropriate funding requirement for the various organisations can be determined in advance and budgeted for correctly, if deemed suitable.

The motion was proposed by Councillor McCabe and seconded by Councillor Kennedy.

A report from Mr Minnock, Director of Services stated that the Kildare Public Participation Network (KPPN) is indeed a tremendous resource for engagement and brings an opportunity to contribute to debate across a whole range of topics. The KPPN is presently being established and will, in time, become an active representative of the community in general. In parallel, the council has operated a whole series of community supports, including grants schemes and perhaps it is timely to consider how these operate in the new environment post local government reform. A discussion around this area is welcome. Councillor McCabe thanked Mr Minnock for the response. He said that it is important to recognise the PPN and he said that the fragmented nature of the applications could be streamlined through a pre-budget submission process.

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The members agreed that there was merit in the motion and acknowledged that the community workers are already working with the community groups and assisting them through the application process. It was suggested that a calendar of closing dates for the various schemes be circulated and also published on the website. The Chief Executive confirmed that this is part of the overall reform of the Putting People First agenda. Mr Minnock confirmed that he met with Michael Kenny from NUI, Maynooth and a further meeting has been arranged with the PPN secretariat to evaluate the process, refresh and realign the grant schemes. Mr Minnock said that he would keep the members informed. Resolved that the report be noted

20/0916 Bus Shelters The following motion in the name of Councillor Lynch was considered That within the remaining life of this council that we budget for the installation of at least one new bus shelter in each municipal district per year. This should be seen as an infrastructural investment project and attempts should be made to create revenue from the shelters through liaising with advertising companies. A National Transport Authority (NTA) presentation to full council confirmed that council can and do provide new bus shelters in other areas and a recent Transport Strategic Policy Committee meeting estimated the cost of the construction of a shelter at between €5,000 and €6,000 per unit. We cannot continue to advocate for increased use of public transport and make attempt to limit traffic congestion in our towns and at the same time expect people to stand in the rain at busy bus stops, which is regularly occurring. This council will attempt to rectify this issue alongside creating a new revenue stream.

The motion was proposed by Councillor Lynch and seconded by Councillor O'Neill.

A report from Mr Morrissey, Director of Services stated that following discussion by the Board of Kildare South Dublin Local Link and a subsequent debate by the Roads Transportation and Public Safety Strategic Policy Committee at their September meeting it was agreed that a proposal would be discussed with each Municipal District during October whereby provision could be made for 2 new Bus Shelters each year in each Municipal District to be funded from the Local Property Tax(LPT). The bus shelters in question would only be funded from the LPT fund if no other agency

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was prepared to fund them. These bus shelters would in most cases be located in rural communities where school children and members of our communities who are dependent on bus transport are forced to wait for the bus in all types of weather conditions at locations where no shelter is available. Councillor Lynch stated that there was a need for more bus shelters. He said that they could be used to generate an income stream through advertising. The response given is referring the issue back to each Municipal District and recommending that the funding be from local property tax and Councillor Lynch disagreed with this. He said that there should be a county wide initiative and the shelters should be provided where the need is greatest. The members contributed to a debate on the motion and it was noted that rural bus shelters were being examined by the Transport Safety and Emergency Services Strategic Policy Committee and that their recommendation would be coming before full council. Members on that committee disputed the €5,000 and €6,000 per unit referred to in the motion which they regarded as premature pending the report of the Strategic Policy Committee. Councillor Lynch said he only discovered after he put forward the motion that rural bus shelters were being examined at the Strategic Policy Committee. Councillor Lynch proposed an amendment to the motion and the Mayor agreed to proceed with the business of the meeting and deal with it later.

21/0916 Part V The following motion in the name of Councillor Cronin was considered That members receive a report on the Part 5s that Kildare County Council have secured as a result of new builds and recommenced builds across the county, and the impact this will have on our projected housing stock figures for 2016 and 2017.

The motion was proposed by Councillor Cronin and seconded by Councillor Cussen

A report from Ms Aspell, A/Director of Service, stated that to date in 2016, the council has received two Part V houses, both in the Celbridge/Leixlip Municipal District. A further 14 Houses are at various stages of completeness, however, it is anticipated that they will be transferred to Kildare County Council by year end:

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Maynooth Municipal District: 8

Celbridge/Leixlip Municipal District: 4

Naas Municipal District: 2

Kildare/Newbridge Municipal District: 2

Figures for 2017 will depend on the rate at which builders complete units.

Councillor Cronin thanked Ms Aspell for the report. She referred to the Action Plan for homelessness and the lengthy list of applicants for social housing in Kildare. She said that there had been no social housing building programme and that the effects of that were now evident. Councillor Cronin referred to the cost of renting a 3 bed semi-detached house in Clane, Kilcock and Maynooth as ranging between €1,250 and €1,600 which was out of reach for most families. She asked the Director to keep her briefed on the 2017 figures as they become available. The members contributed to a lengthy discussion on the motion, noting that the market is not delivering at the moment, that one off houses are exempt from Part V, that this is not just a social housing issue and requesting clarification on the process with regard to the developer engaging and the handover of units. Mr Mc Donnell clarified that the figures provided were for units acquired under the old Part V legislation. Developers are now required to consult before submitting their planning application and that is happening. He undertook to keep the members briefed. Resolved that the report be noted.

22/0916 Council Land and Assets The following motion in the name of Councillor McLoughlin-Healy was considered That the council provide a full progress report on the updating of the Council’s lands and assets database. In the event that the databases are not yet available that the approximate date of completion is identified and the process to date, and to completion, be clarified.

The motion was proposed by Councillor McLoughlin-Healy and seconded by Councillor Stafford.

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A report from Ms Kavanagh, Director of Services stated that the Property Interest Register was established in 2008 to create and maintain a central database of all land-based assets owned by Kildare County Council, Naas Town Council and Athy Town Council. The system is designed to capture the acquisition and disposal of land and buildings and to record any agreements that might affect them i.e. leases etc. The Property Interest Register is a web-based database containing text records with associated digital maps. The text is harvested from individual section files while the GIS maps are purchased from the Land Registry Office. The software that is used is custom-designed. It was developed by Cork County Council on a pilot basis and is now being used by ten local authorities nationwide. A flow chart attached to the report set out the process to date in terms of historic data capture. The data set has grown over time to the point where it now contains over 4,000 electronic maps and almost 3,000 text records. The Property Interest Register team does not manage this portfolio – it merely quantifies and records it for financial management purposes. The Property Interest Register is a work in progress. The overall task is substantial and time-consuming due to its historic nature and the sheer volume of records across all functional areas. Historic data capture is approximately 75% complete in relation to base acquisitions with subsequent disposals and utilisations yet to be ‘layered’ onto the system in chronological order. It is difficult to scope this work due to the many variables that we deal with around record quality, availability, format and accuracy. Given the rate of progress to date, it is estimated that historic data capture will take 2 – 3 years to complete, with ongoing system maintenance required thereafter. This estimate is based on the availability of a dedicated, properly-resourced team and the assumption of full support and assistance from all stakeholders. Councillor McLoughlin-Healy thanked the Director for the comprehensive report but noted that the attachment was quite difficult to follow. She asked was there information available on land that was in the ownership of Kildare County Council but had not yet been developed. Councillor McLoughlin-Healy asked was there a dedicated team dealing with this project and what is the main goal. Ms Kavanagh confirmed that there are a number of teams working on this type of project. She referred to the Assets Register maintained by the Finance Department, the work by the Housing staff on land acquired for housing purposes and she informed the members that the OPW are compiling a national register that they intend to publish early next year. Mr McDonnell confirmed that he had attended each Municipal District meeting and briefed the members on housing land and the current zoning position. Karen Kenny, Senior Executive Planner

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and Michael Kenny, Senior Planner also gave comprehensive reports to the members on zoned lands. Resolved that the report be noted

23/0916 Lay Bys on Motorways The following motion in the name of Councillor Neville was considered That this council review the motorways in Kildare to ensure that there are enough lay-bys and to also ensure appropriate signage is in place so drivers are aware of their locations ahead. Could the council along with the National Roads authority also review the approach to motorway systems abroad to ensure best practice is followed.

The motion was proposed by Councillor Neville and seconded by Councillor Hillis.

Mr Morrissey, Director of Services reported that as motorways are the responsibility of Transportation Infrastructure Ireland, and that this motion will be forwarded to TII for their attention. Councillor Neville said that the provision of lay-bys appeared to be quite haphazard. There were safety concerns as was evidenced from the recent tragedy. Resolved on the proposal of Councillor Neville, seconded by Councillor Hillis, with all the members in agreement, the motion to be referred to Transportation Infrastructure Ireland.

24/0916 Garda Numbers The following motion in the name of Councillor O’Neill was considered That this council writes to the Garda commissioner acknowledging and welcoming the allocation of new recruits to the Kildare area in the last year, requesting however that further personnel be allocated to Kildare as the number of new recruits does not cover the amount of retired personnel and so we are at a further loss than ever before. We respectfully ask that the Commissioner address this issue with some urgency.

The motion was proposed by Councillor O’Neill and seconded by Councillor Cussen

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Councillor O’Neill referred to a notice of motion last year where there was broad agreement from the members regarding the need to increase the number of gardai. Unfortunately, while new recruits have been appointed, the number of gardai retiring is now outnumbering the new recruits. The members contributed to a discussion on the motion. There was agreement that the motion should be carried and that a letter should issue. The members referred to the Joint Policing Committee which is a very useful forum and the members were urged to come forward to the briefings in October to engage in discussion with the gardai. The recent spate of anti-social behaviour in Leixlip was condemned. The Mayor complimented the work of the gardai. Resolved on the proposal of Councillor O’Neill, seconded by Councillor Cussen, the motion was carried.

25/0916 Call for Referendum The following motion in the name of Councillor Young was considered In the light of the continued need for women to go to Britain to get abortion services, as made public by some of the women who have had to make that journey, KCC calls for all parties to cease prevaricating and support a referendum to repeal the 8th Amendment to the constitution, thereby creating the conditions to discuss the provision of abortion services in Ireland.

The motion was proposed by Councillor Young and seconded by Councillor Pender.

Councillor Young stated that there are 4,000 women per year traveling from Ireland, one woman every second day from Kildare who are experiencing a crises pregnancy. He said that it is an Irish phenomenon and he called on the members to support the motion. There was a lengthy debate on the motion with members acknowledging that this was a very emotive topic, that families were divided in their opinion on it, that from a democratic point of view, no person under the age of 50 has had an opportunity to vote on it. The issue of fatal foetal abnormality, recent tragic cases where death occurred and the role of the Citizen’s Convention were discussed. Councillor Scully submitted the following amendment That this council support the role of the citizens convention which will meet in October to discuss the eight amendment and report to the Oireachteas which will then debate the issue.

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This was seconded by Councillor Miley. The amended motion was not allowed under standing order number 17. The Mayor said that he was going to put the motion to the members. Six members called for a roll call vote. The Meetings Administrator read the motion to the members In the light of the continued need for women to go to Britain to get abortion services, as made public by some of the women who have had to make that journey, KCC calls for all parties to cease prevaricating and support a referendum to repeal the 8th Amendment to the constitution, thereby creating the conditions to discuss the provision of abortion services in Ireland. The motion was defeated by 18 votes to 9 with 3 members abstaining. The following members voted for the motion Councillors Breslin, Cronin, McLoughlin-Healy, O’Neill, Pender, R Power, Stafford, Wall and Young. The following members voted against the motion Councillors Breen, Brett, Coleman, Cussen, Dalton, Durkan, Hillis, Keatley, Kennedy, Larkin, Lynch, McCabe, McEvoy, Neville, S Power, Scully, Ward and Weld. The following members abstained Councillors Caldwell, Kelly and Miley. Resolved the motion was defeated by 18 votes to 9 with 3 members abstaining.

26/0916 Bus Shelters See above record 20/0916 – motion in the name of Councillor Lynch (continued) The following amendment to the motion was submitted by Councillor Lynch That within the remaining life of this council that we consider as part of Budget 2017 the installation of at least one new bus shelter in each municipal district per year. This should be seen as an infrastructure investment project and attempts should be made to create revenue from the shelters through liaising with advertising companies. The amended motion was seconded by Councillor O’Neill Resolved on the proposal of Councillor Lynch, seconded by Councillor O’Neill, with all the members in agreement, the motion was carried.

The meeting concluded.

______Minutes of meeting of Kildare County Council 19 September 2016